Next Swiss AF aircraft

Spike · Post by **Spike** » 14 Oct 2008, 12:33

Hi all,
as in these months the evaluation is in progress, I guess which will be the future fighter aircraft that will equip the Swiss AF beside the F/A-18.

John Rambo · Post by **John Rambo** » 14 Oct 2008, 12:42

I think it will be Gripen, because it is a single engine aircraft (less maintenance) and because it is operated by several other countries. But I hope that it will be the Rafale.

Edit: The Typhoon seems to too expensive.

Spike · Post by **Spike** » 14 Oct 2008, 17:58

I've thought about the Typhoon as it was selected also by Austria for its defence and they also have some budget problems. As some rumors said, maintenance of Austrian Typhoons will be held at Cameri AB (Italy) as a contract signed between the two government, and they save money doing so.
Moreover, as the RAF and the AMI are looking to sell part of their Typhoon fleet (first batch), could it be possible that one of the buyers will be Switzerland? It seems that Romanian AF is interested in the 24 Italian Typhoons, and also Austria get their fighters from the Airforces and not from the EADS. Last, Switzerland and Austria are collaborating in many different fields since last years...
But these are only my thoughts... and I'm very curious about the winner of the competitions!

Tintin · Post by **Tintin** » 14 Oct 2008, 18:29

I hope they will chose the Rafale, but I think the Typhoon will win because Austrian Air Force already fly the type and because the Gripen is a single engine aircraft (a twin-engine seems to me riskless and more appropriate to Switzerland geography and installations).

Let's see !!!!

evhest · Post by **evhest** » 14 Oct 2008, 18:58

I'm missing the option 'none', which would be my choice.

Wijgert IJlst · Post by **Wijgert IJlst** » 14 Oct 2008, 19:33

Replace the F-5 with the current fleet of F/A-18's and order a batch of F/A-18E & F to replace the current fleet of Hornets...

My personal choice would be the Rafale, but I think the SAAB Gripen has the best change to be the succesor of the F-5. Saab has been offering the Gripen to F-5 operators around the world as the ideal replacement.

Arjan · Post by **Arjan** » 14 Oct 2008, 20:03

Yes, I hope they chose the Rafale M. Can those big birds fit in the caverns anyway?

But I'm afraid that they will also choose for the Gripen. Which is not bad, but still......love the Rafale!

SPERX · Post by **SPERX** » 14 Oct 2008, 20:11

Hands up all those who would want to be sat in a Gripen doing 420 knots through the mountains when the single engine fails? Not me - so there goes Gripen. Besides, I thought the Swiss had a policy of having twin engined combat aircraft since the F5 was selected?

Which leaves Rafale - now pretty ancient technology isn't it? Or Typhoon which three out of four of Switzerland's neighbours operate and is brim full of state-of-the-art technology.

Typhoon it is for me.

Flanker27 · Post by **Flanker27** » 14 Oct 2008, 20:11

I think the Rafale is the ill-fated one. EF too expensive and too undeveloped (for A2G for instance). The Rafale is superior in WVR and in A2G, and has the best Thrust to weight ratio. IT is twin engined, and don't forget France is their neighbour.
The Gripen would be next but is single-engined, small and agile, but will lose any fight over any anewgen /c. It is ok for self-defence looking to the Czech and Hungarian, but my conclusion would be for the potential of the Rafale, also with the new AESA radar coming the best to defend the borders of the Swiss country. EFs are only the option if there is a bribe involved

and remember 2 of the neighbouring countries that bought the EF also developed it, so they just had to..... The Rafale is the most economical, if only the KLu reconsidered

Maurice · Post by **Maurice** » 14 Oct 2008, 20:22

Arjan wrote:Yes, I hope they chose the Rafale M.

The Rafale M? For the Swiss Navy?

SPERX · Post by **SPERX** » 14 Oct 2008, 23:01

Maurice wrote:
Arjan wrote:Yes, I hope they chose the Rafale M.
The Rafale M? For the Swiss Navy?

Not really a stupid suggestion if you consider folding wings to fit inside the caverns and undercarriage rated for high sink rate arrivals on a carrier - the Swiss AF do tend to fly their patterns high and descend to land at a high sink rate.

Spike · Post by **Spike** » 14 Oct 2008, 23:03

Wijgert IJlst wrote:Replace the F-5 with the current fleet of F/A-18's and order a batch of F/A-18E & F to replace the current fleet of Hornets...

In fact, the first published shortlist included also the F/A-18E-F, but now the contenders seems to be only these three! Probably the Super Hornet is too expensive also respect to the Typhoon.

But... I'd like you to take a read to this post. It seems that the real unit costs is less for the EADS aircraft respect to the French built (and it is not for a bit of cash)!

Arjan · Post by **Arjan** » 14 Oct 2008, 23:10

If thought that Boeing cancelled their participation because they believe that the Super Hornet is overqualified and therefor not interesting for the Swiss. It also costs a lot of money for the manufacturer just to run such a month of tests.

aviodromefriend · Post by **aviodromefriend** » 15 Oct 2008, 10:19

Maurice wrote:The Rafale M? For the Swiss Navy?

To guard the river Rhine, and Geneva Lake (wow, that brings the minimum number of aircraft carriers they should need at 2).

Besides they do fly a naval fighter with that F-18s. And I remember a picture in a copy of Scramble a lot of years ago from one of then our Orions in Swiss colours with "MARINE" titles, and these were not RNLN style titles.

Basman · Post by **Basman** » 17 Oct 2008, 12:36

I think the Rafale's the strongest contestant, for reasons already stated above. I just would like to add that AMD-BA and the Swiss already know each other from their Mirage-era, which might help as well.

Bas

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